A new plan...

Alright guys,

I've had it with looking at my pictures or looking at myself in the mirror and not enjoying what I see. Its time for me to start loving me, and to make healthier changes to help my body and prolong my life. A great friend of mine has lost an amazing amount of weight, and so I asked for her help. She pointed me to a web site...

www.sparkpeople.com

Its free and helps you track your progress, set goals, gives you meal and work-out plans, so YEAHHH I'm starting on my trip! I will keep you updated on how it goes from time to time, I also have a web page on their site if you'd like to check it out, the web address is listed below!

http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=AUNTIEEMWOODARD

Have a healthy day!!
Here's to the new me!!

Hold Me Jesus...

I can think of nothing better to express how I'm feeling today than the lyrics of an amazing song I downloaded on my phone to help me through days like this...I'm fighting so hard to keep smiling, my subconscience has now started playing tricks on me in my dreams. Last night I dreamt I was riding a bicycle home, (however it was my home in Washington) anyway, I knew the way, and I just couldn't get there...It was taking me forever to get there...I awoke before I made it, I couldn't even see the house in the distance. Thats how I feel, like I'm never going to get there.

"So Hold Me Jesus, Cause I'm shaking like a leaf, you've been my King of Glory won't you be my Prince of Peace..."

Here are the lyrics...and my prayer today;

Well, sometimes my life
Just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

CHORUS:
So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

CHORUS

Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something
I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band
Is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

CHORUS

You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

this is song is sung by multiple artists, the one I have down loaded is Big Daddy Weave.

So Proud of the Comets!!

The Comets Cheer Squad (the one that I mentioned a few blogs ago I'll be helping coach next season) finished the year off with a huge BANG!! I'm so proud! They took 1st and 2nd places at their last competition...got a paid bid to National's (they aren't going this year, too short of notice and too much stress for the Seniors) and I hear made front page of the Sunday Chronicle...Check them out!! I'm so proud!!

http://www. daily-chronicle. com/articles/2008/04/06/news/news02.txt


Energym Comets Allstart Senior Squad Performing


The Comets get pumped for the trophy presentations!


Team-mates embrace the seniors after their last performance!


Senior Squad Coach Amanda Wigant, Director Sheri Wigant, and Senior Coach Kristen Heath embracing after the 1st place announcement had been made!

As Promised...

Here are the pictures from my trip to Washington DC!! What an awesome trip it was! This was the first trip that we wore our uniforms on, even though there were planned protests all around us on one of the days, Americans and even people from other countries, China, Korea, etc, were very adamant on showing their gratitude for these men and women who went to war and came back injured. It was unreal, and brought many of us to tears on many different occasions. Enjoy the photos!! If you double click on the slideshow, you will see the pictures full-size with captions!!

I'm becoming impatient

Ok, becoming was probably the wrong word, because we all know how impatient I am...do you think, just maybe that God is trying to teach me some patience?! I think so too. Yesterday I completely packed every last thing that was in the apartment, and scrubbed it out as well. Today I get to rest, I love Sunday's they are so peacful and so rejuvenating for me. Tommorrw, I turn in my keys to the apartment.

I'm going on week 7, when I was told it would take 3...my car is so full now, I can't even see out of my rear-view mirror, and my arm rest has been taken over by Zeke's food...lol, its an open container, so he can snack on the drive if he wishes...I miss him like crazy. But I don't go see him, cause it hurts me too much to turn around and walk away from him. I just want to go home. For my faithful readers, I will give you this heads up...

I'm only telling one person my actual date when I'm coming home, when I find it out that is...and he's not tellin anyone either :-p If you follow my posts you may get clues around when it will come up, but I like the element of surprise, and I'm having fun envisioning faces of my family and loved ones when all of a sudden I'm standing right in front of them with my car packed full behind me. Yeah...It'll be a nice "Welcome Home Emily" for me to see surprised and happy faces.

I guess thats all for now! I miss you all, I just pray and hope I'm home soon.

Paying my respects...

I had the honor of attending yet another wounded warrior retreat to Washington D.C. this past week. I will tell about that trip in a later blog once I get all of my pictures up from the trip. But one opportunity hit me harder than any other experience. As the last post stated, the Army lost an amazing man January 20th. Alongside him were 11 also amazing Heros. CH Munson challenged us on Wednesday evening to take a pebble (that I made sure I cleaned up real good for the role they were about to play) and over the night and the next day as we visited memorials to toss it around in our hands, and think of the sacrafices that we've given, but also of those that have given before us. It hurts me deep to know that some of my battle buddies I know personally have gone to war and are at war, and I've been stuck sitting behind a desk where its "safe." And now, as I'm contemplating my departure from the Army, it hurts even more to know I'm leaving them behind. That was my large burden that I placed in God's hands into that pebble on Wedsnesday night and all day Thursday. I also thought of COL Allgood. I remember him so vividly, returning my salute and pinning on my first AAM. I'll never forget him. He's not buried in Arlington though, so I couldn't pay my respects directly to him. So I gave myself a mission to find a Soldier, or two, that had fallen on or nearest to 20 January 2007.
Little did I know that I would find 2 of them, and that they both fell on the 20th.
I prayed for their family's as I took my time kneeling at both headstones. One of a SSG, one of a COL. I thanked God for their sacrifice and the Soldiers and people that they touched when they graced this life. And then I simply laid my pebbles on top of their headstones, whispered a short, "Rest In Peace, We've got your back now." And turned to walk around and keep an eye on my Soldiers who were grieving along side of me.

Today is my first day back in the office, and I was itching to know who these Warriors were that I paid respects to. Never did I think I'd find what I found.

BOOKER, DARRYL DEMETRIAL
SSG US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 05/20/1969
DATE OF DEATH: 01/20/2007
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8530
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

KELLY, PAUL MICHAEL
COL US ARMY
DATE OF BIRTH: 01/31/1961
DATE OF DEATH: 01/20/2007
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8528
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

These two brave warriors were on the exact same blackhawk that took my Commander's life down as it crashed. I told CH Munson of that today, he couldn't believe it. And then he said the most amazing thing, "I don't think that is a coincedence." God knows us better than ourselves. And how amazing and truly wonderful it is that these two men were on that blackhawk, maybe even sitting alongside COL Allgood. And, that, in itself is very humbling. These men were fathers, husbands, sons. They were young, SSG Booker was only 37, COL Kelly was 45, COL Allgood was 46. From just the different articles, blogs, guestbook comments that I've found thus far these men were true Heros, and they knew how to lead, and lead well. Their Soldiers loved working for them and they are sorely missed by all who knew them.

But their stories don't end at the crashsites. All of those who have fallen for our GREAT nation live on. As their stories are told, and lives are impacted from the life these heros lived, is what makes their legacy continue on. One of my favorite quotes something along the lines of, if I made a difference in just one life, my life has been worthwhile. That in itself is a true test to the legacies of the men that I pay tribute too. They changed and impacted so many lives you can't even count them. That, in itself, is a life well lived. I truly believe Jesus met them at the gates of heaven, and said the words I'm ever-longing to hear..."Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" Matthew 25:21KJV

Rest in Peace, SSG Booker, COL Kelly, & COL Allgood...




If you would, please take the time to watch the MSNBC video on their crash, honor those who have fallen, and never forget all of those who have fought...whether they perished, were injured, or came home just a little bit different than they left.

http://dailynightly.msnbc.com/2007/01/stories_worth_h.html

Missing my S.Korean Commander...

I found this on the West Point Website, what a perfect tribute to a man who will be sorely missed by the Army Family.

This is my second trip to DC & to Arlington, since I joined the Army. The most significant spot that we stop at to me, is visiting Arlington National Cemetary. I am one of the fortunate few that doesn't know many Soldiers that have been laid to rest since the start of the war...the one I do know, was my commander when I was stationed in Korea. COL Brian D. Allgood...he was an amazing man. My most favorite memory I have with him was when he pinned my first Army award on me during our field training exercise. I saluted him, as the shaky, shy, teary-eyed PFC that I was. And he returned my salute, shook my hand, and told me how proud he was of me. That I had done an outstanding job. That was it, nothing more nothing less, he moved onto the next Soldier. COL Allgood, was an amazing commander, he was all about the family, he was all about the Soldiers, and he truly cared about each and everyone of us under his wing. He is a man that is truly missed.